title: Low-grade serous primary peritoneal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  10% of women with serous ovarian cancer have low-grade carcinomas. These patients are diagnosed at a younger age, have a longer overall survival and a lower response rate to platinum-based chemotherapy compared to women with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. It remains unclear if these features are similar in women with low-grade primary peritoneal cancer (PPC). To further explore this issue, a retrospective analysis of the clinical and pathologic characteristics of women with low-grade serous PPC was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of 53 patients with low-grade serous PPC evaluated at a single institution from 1986 to 2009 was performed. All cases were reviewed by a gynecologic pathologist to confirm low-grade serous PPC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age at diagnosis was 51.7 years (range 27.1-82.4). 46 patients (86.8%) underwent primary surgery, with optimal tumor reduction achieved in 30 patients (65.2%). 48 patients (90.6%) received chemotherapy as part of their initial treatment. At the completion of primary treatment, 66.7% of patients were noted to have persistent or progressive disease. With a median follow-up of 66.1 months, the 5-year PFS was 16%, yet the 5-year OS was 69%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first report of women with low-grade serous PPC. Similar to low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, patients with low-grade serous PPC have high rates of persistent disease at the completion of primary treatment yet a long overall survival. Further study focusing specifically on low-grade serous ovarian and primary peritoneal carcinomas is needed to determine the optimal treatment of these diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1155 Herman Pressler Drive, Houston, TX 77230, USA. kschmele@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Schmeler
authors.forename: Charlotte C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Anais
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malpica
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Deavers
authors.forename: Diane C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bodurka
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gershenson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies